This invention relates to a method for relieving symptoms of acute pancreatitis in mammals. More particularly, the invention concerns a method for treating persons afflicted with acute pancreatitis by administering to such a person a sufficient amount of Isometheptene to effectively relieve symptoms of that disease.
Acute pancreatitis causes pathologic changes in the pancreas ranging from a mild edematous process to an overwhelming necrotizing lesion which may be life-threatening. While its symptoms are variable it is principally characterized by epigastric pain radiating to either the upper quadrant or directly through to the back. The typical pain is gnawing, of sudden onset, of exceeding severity, unremitting, and sometimes colicky in character. It is not relieved by vomiting and is little affected by morphine, for example. Patients with this condition are also commonly found to have persistent high amylase in the blood and urine and frequently develop shock due to circulating vasoactive substances or retroperitoneal hemorrhage.
A standard rationale in treating this condition is to set the gland to rest, such as by restricting the intake of food, administering fluids, and maintaining electrolyte balance. Treatment involving the use of various drug compositions has also been attempted previously, including the use of specific drugs which are known to inhibit gastric and/or pancreatic secretions such as Aprotinin, but none of these treatments appears to exhibit any proven overall benefit.